Interlaced heat exchanger

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a climate management system that includes a heat exchanger having a first set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a first circuit of the climate management system and a second set of microchannel coils fluidly coupled to a second circuit of the climate management system, where the first circuit and the second circuit are fluidly separate from one another, and where the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of microchannel coils and the second set of microchannel coils are interlaced in the heat exchanger.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a heat exchanger comprising:
 a first set of heat exchanger tubes fluidly coupled to a first circuit of the HVAC system, wherein a first heat exchanger tube of the first set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a first body portion and a first header connection, and the first header connection extends linearly with the first body portion along a first axis; and 
 a second set of heat exchanger tubes fluidly coupled to a second circuit of the HVAC system, wherein a second heat exchanger tube of the second set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a second body portion, a second header connection, an arcuate portion extending between the second body portion and the second header connection, and a plurality of channels extending through the second header connection, the second body portion, and the arcuate portion, the arcuate portion extends laterally beyond the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, the second header connection is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the second body portion, and the second body portion and the second header connection extend within a common plane, 
 wherein the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are interlaced in the heat exchanger. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a first header coupled to the first header connection of the first heat exchanger tube and a second header coupled to the second header connection of the second heat exchanger tube. 
     
     
       3. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a third set of heat exchanger tubes fluidly coupled to a third circuit of the HVAC system, wherein a third heat exchanger tube of the third set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a third body portion, a third header connection, and an additional arcuate portion extending between the third body portion and the third header connection, the third header connection is oriented at an additional oblique angle relative to the third body portion, the third header connection and the third body portion extend within an additional common plane, and the first set of heat exchanger tubes, the second set of heat exchanger tubes, and the third set of heat exchanger tubes are disposed in an alternating arrangement along the length of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
       4. The HVAC system of  claim 3 , wherein the arcuate portion of the second heat exchanger tube extends from a first side of the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube, and the additional arcuate portion of the third heat exchanger tube extends from a second side, opposite the first side, of the first body portion. 
     
     
       5. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the first body portion overlaps with the second body portion. 
     
     
       6. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of fins extending between the first heat exchanger tube and the second heat exchanger tube. 
     
     
       7. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are fluidly separate from one another. 
     
     
       8. The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of heat exchanger tubes, and the second set of heat exchanger tubes comprise microchannel tubes. 
     
     
       9. An interlaced heat exchanger, comprising:
 a first set of heat exchanger tubes, wherein a first heat exchanger tube of the first set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a first body portion and a first header connection extending along a first axis; and 
 a second set of heat exchanger tubes, wherein a second heat exchanger tube of the second set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a second body portion, a second header connection oriented obliquely relative to the second body portion via an arcuate portion of the second heat exchanger tube, and a plurality of channels formed in the second heat exchanger tube and extending through the second header connection, through the second body portion, and through the arcuate portion, the arcuate portion extends laterally beyond the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube along a second axis oriented perpendicular to the first axis, and the second body portion and the second header connection are in a common plane, 
 wherein the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the interlaced heat exchanger such that the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are interlaced. 
 
     
     
       10. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 9 , comprising a first header coupled to the first header connection and a second header coupled to the second header connection, wherein the first header is configured to direct a first working fluid of a first working fluid circuit into the first set of heat exchanger tubes, and the second header is configured to direct a second working fluid of a second working fluid circuit into the second set of heat exchanger tubes. 
     
     
       11. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 10 , comprising a third set of heat exchanger tubes and a third header, wherein a third heat exchanger tube of the third set of heat exchanger tubes comprises a third body portion and a third header connection oriented obliquely relative to the third body portion via an additional arcuate portion of the third heat exchanger tube, and the third header is coupled to the third header connection and is configured to direct a third working fluid of a third working fluid circuit into the third set of heat exchanger tubes. 
     
     
       12. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein the second header is positioned at a first side of the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube, and the third header is positioned at a second side, opposite the first side, of the first body portion. 
     
     
       13. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the second body portion of the second heat exchanger tube overlaps with the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube. 
     
     
       14. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the first heat exchanger tube comprises a third header connection extending along the first axis. 
     
     
       15. The interlaced heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the second heat exchanger tube comprises a third header connection oriented obliquely relative to the second body portion via an additional arcuate portion of the second heat exchanger tube, wherein the third header connection is in the common plane. 
     
     
       16. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a first working fluid circuit configured to circulate a first working fluid; 
 a second working fluid circuit configured to circulate a second working fluid; and 
 a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the first working fluid circuit and the second working fluid circuit, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first set of heat exchanger tubes comprising a first heat exchanger tube, wherein the first heat exchanger tube comprises a first body portion and first header connections at opposite ends of the first body portion, the first body portion extends linearly along a first axis between the first header connections, and the first set of heat exchanger tubes is configured to receive the first working fluid from the first working fluid circuit; and 
 a second set of heat exchanger tubes comprising a second heat exchanger tube, wherein the second heat exchanger tube comprises a second body portion, second header connections at opposite ends of the second body portion, respective arcuate portions extending between the second header connections and the second body portion, and a plurality of channels formed in the second heat exchanger tube, the plurality of channels extends through the second header connections, through the second body portion, and through the respective arcuate portions, the second header connections and the second body portion extend within a common plane, the respective arcuate portions extend laterally beyond the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube along a second axis extending perpendicularly relative to the first axis, the second set of heat exchanger tubes is configured to receive the second working fluid from the second working fluid circuit, and the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are disposed in an alternating arrangement along a length of the heat exchanger such that the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes are interlaced with one another. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
 a first header fluidly coupled to the first set of heat exchanger tubes and configured to receive the first working fluid from the first working fluid circuit; and 
 a second header fluidly coupled to the second set of heat exchanger tubes and configured to receive the second working fluid from the second working fluid circuit. 
 
     
     
       18. The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the first body portion and the second body portion overlap with one another. 
     
     
       19. The HVAC system of  claim 16 , comprising a fan configured to direct an airflow across the first set of heat exchanger tubes and the second set of heat exchanger tubes. 
     
     
       20. The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the second header connections are disposed on a common side of the first body portion of the first heat exchanger tube.